ALBANY -- Ahhh ... the days are longer, warmer and the legislators are gone. But they're already talking about coming back.

A top senator predicted his colleagues would reconvene at the Capitol shortly after negotiations with the Public Employees Federation yield a contract proposal. The legislature would be asked to approve whatever salary structure is contained in the new contract.

"I would think once that's negotiated and agreed to by the union, we'll be brought back as soon as possible," said Sen. John DeFrancisco, a Syracuse Republican who chairs the chamber's Finance Committee.

Senators closed their formal session last month after a week dominated by closed-door deliberations and a "hectic last few hours" in which senators passed bills capping property taxes and legalizing same-sex marriage. Members quickly left town.

As that happened, there was a recognition that legislators must return, according to Scott Reif, a spokesman for majority Senate Republicans. He said the Senate would return before the start of the scheduled 2012 legislative year in January, but "there's no definitive timetable at this point."

And DeFrancisco's reference to the PEF contract does not translate to a fixed date. Negotiations between the union and aides to Gov. Andrew Cuomo are ongoing, and the administration is currently moving forward with layoffs of PEF members.

Cuomo said Friday that negotiators have extended to PEF the same, five-year, tentative offer pending approval by the Civil Service Employees Association, a notion PEF's president disputed. The proposed CSEA contract would increase employee contributions to health care and freeze wages for two years before eventually including a bonus and cash raises.

Union members are voting on the proposal by mail. Legislators already acted to change payroll appropriations for the CSEA deal, an action that would have to be replicated for PEF if a new contract agreement is reached.

Health care advocates are also calling on the Senate to approve legislation setting up a health insurance exchange, necessitated by the 2010 federal health care overhaul. A bill passed the Assembly, but the Senate adjourned without taking up the measure. In order to apply for federal assistance -- New York has already received some grants -- the Senate must act before Sept. 30 to be eligible for the current round.

"It's clear, from my opinion, it's something we should be doing," said Sen. David Valesky, D-Syracuse. But some Republicans expressed concerns the action would facilitate "Obamacare," anathema to many people in the party. Reif said, "A few of our members have indicated they wanted more time to review it."

The Senate may also consider gubernatorial nominations -- Cuomo just tapped James Cox to be the Medicaid Inspector General -- and other bills that have passed only the Assembly.

"We want to get our members back together to talk about a number of things, including the impact of prison closures the governor put forward, and jobs," Reif said.

Special sessions, called either by the governor or legislative leaders, have been common in recent years, usually to tackle budget imbalances that arise in the middle of the year. The state approved a $132.5 billion budget in April.

Members of the Assembly, which would also have to approve a PEF pay bill, currently have no plans to return to Albany.

We haven't talked about it," said Michael Whyland, a spokesman for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan. "We just came off of one of the most productive sessions in recent memory."